Catching Birds

Yu Ci's answer was very straightforward. The talisman he found belonged to the demon-diagram, ghost-pattern system, which was quite complex and one of the more advanced talismans Yu Ci could handle. Previously, he had only used this talisman with the special power of the Zhaoshen Bronze Mirror, and even then, it was only a rudimentary application. Now, he needed to familiarize himself with it again to ensure there were no problems.

The process was brief. While Baoguang was still struggling with the complex talismanic patterns, Yu Ci had already stood up. Baoguang, having been too close, was startled and almost fell from the clouds. By the time he steadied himself, he could already hear the low hum of incantations.

"Senior Brother Yu..."

Baoguang still wanted to urge Yu Ci to be cautious, but then he saw Yu Ci's fingertips flashing with spiritual light, laying down all sorts of strange brushstrokes. It started like a ghost's face, and then many ambiguous characters were added. As the talisman gradually took shape, Baoguang inexplicably felt that the sky, which had been clear and bright, seemed to have turned overcast. Yet, when he looked up, the sun was still the same sun, but it felt as if a cold wind was blowing past him.

The young Daoist was stunned, and the words he had intended to say naturally got stuck in his throat.

Yu Ci didn't care what others were thinking. At this moment, in his eyes and heart, besides the dancing talismanic patterns, there were only the group of wild ducks on the lake, blissfully unaware of the impending disaster. As the talisman was completed, the scene of the wild ducks playing in the distance seemed to be pulled right before him. He silently activated the talisman.

In Baoguang's eyes, the talisman in front of Yu Ci suddenly disappeared. Then, his attention was drawn by an invisible rope towards the group of playful wild ducks a hundred feet away. Ripples were spreading across the lake water there, and occasionally, a few restless wild ducks would fly up and down, creating a peaceful scene that looked like a fine autumn day. But in the next moment, thunder struck from the silent void, as if someone had roared nearby, shaking the soul. A black chain, condensed from thin air, densely covered with countless talismanic patterns, made a clanking sound as it instantly circled the water surface spread out within a radius of nearly a mile, and then snapped shut with a "clang."

The sudden turn of events startled even Baoguang, who had been mentally prepared. Not to mention the highly vigilant wild ducks. Amidst a series of startled cries and flapping wings, the duck flock took flight, filling the sky in an instant. A hundred wild ducks clearly couldn't achieve this, but the water-aspect birds hidden among them made their move the moment the flock took flight. The hundred wild ducks seemed to turn into thousands, tens of thousands, scattering in all directions, creating chaos.

High above on the ghost-gauze clouds, Baoguang was so nervous he almost jumped down. He had been tricked by a similar tactic before and had returned defeated. Now, that thieving bird was back!

Yu Ci, however, was very steady. Even before the talisman took effect, he had already activated its more advanced transformation. Although the situation on the lake was chaotic, he was calm in his heart, watching as the deeper talismanic patterns on the black chain lit up one by one.

Baoguang's cultivation was insufficient, and the flat-feathered creatures couldn't see it at all. Within a radius of nearly a mile, countless fine, silk-like pale gray lines were densely spread, forming a fine net that covered the wild ducks. However, this was not targeting the physical bodies of the wild ducks, but their spirits and souls!

With a "plop," a black shadow fell, and then it was as if some mechanism was activated. To Baoguang's dumbfounded gaze, the hundred or so wild ducks began to fall from the sky like dumplings, one after another, floating densely on the water. The scene was incredibly comical.

"Hey, go and retrieve them. They must be in here."

The appearance of the water-aspect birds could change, but their spirits and souls could not. Under the Yindu Black Law Ghost Binding Curse, the forms of all spirits and souls could not be hidden from him, which was why Yu Ci was so confident.

Baoguang was completely stunned.

In fact, the young Daoist had a small selfish motive for seeking Yu Ci's help. You see, at the Zhixin Temple, he was a registered disciple of the Abbot. Even if he didn't put on airs himself, he was still a cut above those itinerant Daoists. It was a bit awkward to ask for help now. As for his fellow disciples in the outer chambers, their cultivation was profound, and it felt like overkill to ask them to catch a bird.

After much thought, only Yu Ci was not an outer disciple, but might become one in the future, and his master had a good impression of him. They also got along well, making him the best candidate to ask for help. The only uncertainty was Yu Ci's cultivation. He could only think this:

A person who could remain at ease under the pressure of the Bai Ri Mansion Lord must have decent cultivation, right?

The facts proved this, but the proof was too effective. The young Daoist felt a slight sting of hurt in his heart. The gap between them was too large!

Actually, this was his misunderstanding. The talisman Yu Ci used wasn't that terrifying. The so-called Yindu Black Law Ghost Binding Curse was actually a type of Talisman Art specifically targeting Yin souls and ghosts. Its lethality to living beings was very limited. It was only because of these wild ducks, with their fragile bodies and low intelligence, that they couldn't resist the curse's invasion. But if it were a normal person with a complete spirit and soul, using this talisman in this manner would at most cause them to shiver.

Yu Ci could vaguely sense the young Daoist's thoughts, but he didn't have the time to indulge in sentimental reflections. Helping Baoguang catch the water-aspect bird was just a trivial interlude in his life, nothing more.

Baoguang was, after all, a kind-hearted child with a good disposition. That little bit of jealousy vanished completely once they returned to the Daoist temple. He even wanted to share the hundred Good Deeds he received, but Yu Ci refused. To him, Baoguang, the Abbot's registered disciple, held a special position in the temple, and his heart was simple and kind, making him a good person to befriend. Thirty to fifty Good Deeds wouldn't cover his own needs, so it was better to use them to build a relationship.

Of course, catching the water-aspect bird was not without its gains. Yu Ci felt that when he used the Yindu Black Law Ghost Binding Curse, his "Innate Qi" circulated exceptionally smoothly. Especially when transforming into the advanced form of the talisman, his control was effortless. Although it was the first time he had used it, it was surprisingly easy, as if his cultivation had improved imperceptibly.

This was naturally a good thing, so Yu Ci was in a very good mood. After dinner and a brief period of activity, as he was preparing to perform his evening practice, the young Daoist Baoguang visited for the second time. This time, he wasn't here to ask for Yu Ci's help, but because the old Daoist Yu Zhou had invited him.

This was the first time Yu Zhou had met him since he moved into the Daoist temple five days ago.

The Zhixin Temple at night was very quiet. The eternal lamps in the various halls cast circles of light, demarcating their territories in the darkness. Walking through this vast space of mixed light and shadow, Yu Ci felt that his heart was not entirely calm; there was a sense of outward expansion.

Yu Ci knew the source of his psychological change: he was actually yearning for this place, for this kind of life. For him, this life was novel and had an unparalleled sense of significance. Only by truly integrating here could he declare that he had truly reached a new height.

It was completely different from the confused and uncertain days of years past. He was walking on a broad path, his coveted goal laid out before his eyes. A sense of drive urged him to run and seize the goal; it was that simple.

While he was still contemplating the significant changes in his life and psychology, his feet had already stepped into the residence of the old Daoist Yu Zhou. This was also a separate courtyard. The old Daoist stood in the courtyard, holding an ancient sword with pine patterns, as if entertaining himself, swinging the sword and dancing. There was no music in the courtyard, yet the low whistle of the sword cutting through the air and the faint rustling of his robes were the best harmony, rising and falling with clear rhythm.

Yu Ci's expression turned somewhat strange.

The old Daoist was immersed in his own world, and Baoguang watched with rapt attention, neither of them noticing his anomaly. It wasn't that the old Daoist's sword dance was unattractive, but rather that for Yu Ci, this sword dance was like child's play compared to what he had seen before.

The night before he entered the Zhixin Temple, and up until Jin Huan ascended the mountain, he had used the Zhaoshen Map to observe the movements within the temple. At that time, he had gained two things: first, he observed that the cultivators in the temple behaved righteously and their methods were rigorous. The temperament of the Abbot, the old Daoist Yu Zhou, was also relatively gentle, which led him to make the decision to enter the temple adventurously. Now, it seemed this risk had been very worthwhile.

Secondly, it was the old Daoist's swordsmanship. At that time, in this very courtyard, he had seen Yu Zhou practicing his sword, which was a very peculiar thing in itself.

The Zhaoshen Map was affected by the intensity of the target's aura; the stronger the cultivator, the more blurred the observation image became. This had already been confirmed. However, when Yu Zhou practiced his sword, Yu Ci could see it very clearly, to the point where he severely underestimated the person's cultivation.

However, Yu Zhou's swordsmanship at that time still opened his eyes. He couldn't grasp the profound principles within it, but he saw that when Yu Zhou released his sword energy, its form and substance were already extremely mystical. Each wave of sword energy was like rising water vapor, or like ethereal clouds and mist, illusory and dreamlike, yet it penetrated directly into the heart. It was truly the most superior sword technique Yu Ci had seen in his twenty-five years of life. Perhaps only Ye Bin's mastery of integrating sword intent into the clouds and mist that day could compare. As he watched, he couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

When the old Daoist finished his sword practice and began to breathe, Yu Ci was dumbfounded. On the Zhaoshen Map, the distorted image directly proved that the old Daoist was a Core Formation cultivator, and the degree and range of distortion were even greater than Jin Huan's. Only then did he realize that the old Daoist was the true master, and he couldn't help but admire him greatly. The next day, when he arrived at the temple, he was very respectful.

These were already past events, but seeing Yu Zhou dancing with his sword like this now, Yu Ci couldn't help but compare it with his previous memories.

Was this for his benefit? The old Daoist's thoughts were indeed difficult to fathom.

While he was thinking, the old Daoist had already stopped. His white hair fluttered in the night wind, his forehead was not sweating, and he appeared even more vigorous. The old Daoist put away his sword and smiled at him:

"You've arrived. Sit! This is a sword technique I used in my youth. Now that I'm old and foolish, I fear I've forgotten some of it, so I'm bringing it out to play."

Baoguang beside him said proudly, "Master's swordsmanship and cultivation rank in the top five within the sect. Even many Void Stepping or even True Man realm immortal masters cannot compare. This was personally judged by the Sect Master back then."

The old Daoist smiled upon hearing this, "You fool, you can only fool outsiders. How can sword dancing be the same as swordsmanship?"

Yu Ci deeply agreed and greatly appreciated the old Daoist's frankness.

There was a locust tree in the courtyard, about two people in circumference. A set of stone tables and benches was placed under the tree year-round for use during cooler weather. However, at this moment, the autumn wind was sharp, the leaves had all fallen, and the dry branches swayed in the night wind, creating a rather desolate atmosphere.

Yu Ci didn't know why he had such a thought. He and the old Daoist walked over and sat down. The old Daoist gestured for Baoguang to serve tea, while he himself took out a jade token and handed it over.

Yu Ci took it, initially thinking it was a jade talisman or a jade slip. When it landed in his hand, he realized the front of the token was inscribed with the words "Good Deeds," while the back was smooth and its purpose unknown.

"This is a Merit Token made by the sect. When your primordial energy or divine intent touches it, it will display your corresponding Good Deeds count on the back."

Yu Ci immediately focused his spirit and touched it. The token flashed with light, and the smooth back displayed the words, "Yu Ci, accumulated Good Deeds: three hundred and sixty." The characters were deep blue, making them very conspicuous against the background.